


The Amaranthine Vigil of the Lord Protector

by atoxicrose



Series: Anthem Omniverse [1]
Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-22
Updated: 2016-11-22
Packaged: 2018-09-01 10:46:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8621509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atoxicrose/pseuds/atoxicrose
Summary: The painting appears above the fireplace one day in the middle of the Month of Rain.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this.](http://fav.me/d5izg7j)

The painting appears above the fireplace one day in the middle of the Month of Rain.

When Ellie leaves her room that morning she spies Piero at the end of the hall, coming her way and groans inwardly. She likes Piero, she really does, but she simply hasn’t the wherewithal to deal with him first thing in the morning. He hasn’t noticed her yet, as he’s busy poring over some blueprints in his hands. Ellie decides to take the long way around.

As Ellie passes the small sitting room on the far side of the floor, the painting catches her eye though the glass doors. It’s a Sokolov, she can see that immediately, but she does not recognize the subject of the painting. It’s a young man in his early twenties, with dark hair a serious grey eyes. He wears a military dress jacket with golden epaulettes and one hand rests on the ornate hilt of a sword, in the other he holds a white glove.

At first, Ellie thinks it’s the Jessamine’s father, Emperor Euhorn Kaldwin. But as she goes about her day, she decides that’s not quite right. His skin is too dark, and she recalls someone mentioning that Euhorn was blond.

It bugs her and Ellie returns to the sitting room several times throughout the day to stare at it. Whomever it is so _familiar_ , but she just can’t place him. Ellie decides that if she sees Sokolov she’ll ask him, but he’s at his home on Kaldwin’s Bridge for the week.

Ellie is still puzzling over the identity of the painting’s subject when she returns to the sitting room that evening to meet Corvo for dinks. When he arrives, Corvo looks a surprised to see the painting.

"When did that appear?” Corvo asks Ellie as he crosses the room to pour their drinks.

“This morning,” Ellie replies from the chair by the fireplace. “Corvo?”

“Hmm?”

“Who is he? He looks so familiar, but I can’t place him. It’s been bothering me all day.” Corvo pauses and looks over at her as if trying to decide whether she’s serious or not. “What?”

“Ellie… that’s me.”

Ellie chokes. “That’s – ” She looks from Corvo to the painting and back several times. “Outsider’s eyes, it _is_ you!” She doubles over in her seat with a peal of laughter. Corvo smiles sheepishly and hands Ellie her drink before sitting down across from her. “Look at you! Thirty years younger and with short hair too.”

“Twenty, Ellie. Twenty years younger.” Corvo actually sounds a little offended.

Ellie takes a sip of her drink. “I’d never’ve pegged you as the type to get your portrait painted.”

Corvo shrugs. “Sokolov approached me shortly after he painted Jessamine. I declined, but Jessamine insisted. She said if she had to go through the ordeal of having her portrait painted, so did I.”

“I can’t believe it survived.”

Corvo hums in agreement. “He wants you to sit for him, you know.”

Ellie grimaces. “I know.”

“Will you?”

Ellie stares thoughtfully at the painting. “You know, I think I might.”


End file.
